By Blaine Schultz, Special to OnMilwaukee.com   Published Oct 04, 2013 at 12:20 PM

Apparently Ian Hunter never got the memo to retire. Playing a sold-out show Thursday evening at Potawatomi Casino’s Northern Lights Theater, Hunter ignored the oldies route. In fact, he could have played a second night to a satisfied audience without repeating a single song.

It made perfect sense considering the 74-year-old is still releasing fine albums like his recent "When I Am President."

Hunter debuted in 1969 with Mott the Hoople, a British group that blended Dylan’s literacy with hard rock psychosis before witnessing the birth of glam rock.

Post-Mott, Hunter journeyed through collaborations with members of Queen and The Clash, often with guitarist Mick Ronson, who died in 1993.

Hunter’s five piece Rant Band knows its way around dynamics and Thursday’s show was a satisfying mix of material from Mott-era rockers like "All the Way From Memphis," "The Golden Age of Rock and Roll"and "One of the Boys" to far-flung tunes which showcased the frontman’s songwriting on both guitar and piano, including "All American Alien Boy," "Ta Shunka Witco (Crazy Horse)" and "Standing in My Light."

In this era of over-hyped farewell tours, it was refreshing to hear Hunter challenge his audience. By giving his newer material a chance to share the heavy lifting he seemed to trust his audience. 

Looking fit and spry, Hunter’s topical new material finds him still in the game when many of his peers have long run out of gas. And in the end he rewarded the faithful with a money-shot medley of "Knocking on Heaven’s Door/I Wish I was Your Mother/Ships/Roll Away the Stone/All the Young Dudes."